Risks
by ElsieLorraine
Summary: When two people are afraid of falling and of sparks, they should learn to take risks and face those fears. /Implied ContestShipping and LeafGreenShipping\


_Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or _Don't Say It's Too Late_ by Westlife._

**Risks**

(*)

'_And I would risk it all for you just to prove my love is true.'_

(*)

"That, my friend, is a really good example of an after-sex outfit."

At the sound of the voice May Maple looked up, her bangs partially covering her left eye. It was past midnight and the brunette was sitting on the rooftop of Drew Hayden's house. May rolled her eyes playfully at the other figure before directing them back up at the stars. "You talk as if we're not wearing the same thing," she commented. She tugged onto the hem of the polo she was wearing. The pair had borrowed some clothes from Drew after their little water battle earlier that day. Luckily, May carried around extra pairs of cycling shorts so they didn't have to wear any of Drew's pants.

The other figure giggled and took the spot next to May. "I'd reply with some cool comment but it probably won't be amusing to you. So I'll settle with asking you why you're up here."

"I couldn't sleep," May replied, meeting the bright green pair of eyes next to her. "Turns out you couldn't either." She then returned her eyes back up to the sky.

"Of course I couldn't. I was literally up the whole night wondering where you were. I even tried to find you around the house. When I saw that you weren't in Drew's room, I nearly panicked."

That earned the other figure a push from May. "Why would you even _think_ that I was in his room, Leaf?" May asked in an aggravated manner.

Leaf Greene had been travelling with May for four years when they met in Hoenn. May was back for a home visit while Leaf was there to challenge Norman's Gym. May just happened to enter the Gym as Leaf was accepting her badge. It was then when the two decided to travel with each other. Now, at eighteen years old, the two brunettes had shared many adventures.

Leaf grinned in a sly manner. "Because you're practically a couple."

May, who had expected that much, just rolled her eyes. She had gotten used to Leaf's playful teasing of the coordinator pair being a couple. It was almost inevitable to escape the teasing and May knew it. After telling Leaf about all the rose-throwing incidents, courtesy of Drew, Leaf had instantly shipped them as a couple. It didn't help that every time the two brunettes would bump into the green-haired coordinator, Drew would pull a stunt that would make Leaf speculate more about the relationship of the two.

"We're just close friends."

"And we've been through this a million times already."

"Nothing like _that_ is happening between us."

"Like _what_?"

May sighed. "Drew and I are as close as you and Gary are."

With a dismissive hand, Leaf commented, "So?"

"So if you were missing tonight and not me, that means you'd be in Gary's room," May said ever-so-bluntly. At Leaf's shocked expression, May couldn't help but laugh.

"We're just close friends!" Leaf said aggressively, causing May to once again roll her delicate blue eyes.

"Exactly what Drew and I are. We're the same, you know?"

Leaf sighed, not having anything to say about that topic. It was true that the two were close enough that they were practically the same. Aside from the fact that once was a coordinator and the other a trainer, the pair was very much alike.

Physically, the two were brunettes with figures that many women would be jealous of. Despite the fact that they ate a lot, the two didn't gain weight easily. Combined with their almost non-stop travelling and training plus their genetic make-up, the two maintained a good figure. Not to mention that the two were around the same height as well.

They shared many similarities personality-wise as well. Despite the fact that they could both travel alone, they were more comfortable with each other around. There was a brief moment in that four years they shared when the two brunettes both went their separate ways. That lasted for less than two months when one called the other and asked to travel again with each other. Apparently both shared the same sentiments.

The two were also really determined. Although they would sulk about losing if ever they do lose, May and Leaf don't sulk for a long time. Instead, they train harder and ensure that their Pokémon are kept in better condition that they were beforehand.

They also made and effort to keep memories. Leaf was more hands-on in that aspect than May was. May settled with memories in her head than physical pictures and videos and such. As a part-time director (not really, she just liked to think she was), Leaf was the one holding the actual video camera while May used her imaginary one. Not long after they two travelled together, May had forgone that imaginary camera and had become Leaf's reporter-slash-main actress. Occasionally, friends of either of the two would make cameo appearances. And all those videos and pictures were stored somewhere by Leaf.

Both were really humble despite the fact that they have got a lot of things to brag about. May was still pretty shy when she gets congratulations from people she doesn't know. Leaf, on the other hand, though more confident, was still pretty humble about her achievements.

And both were falling for their male best friends, who just so happened to be successful, yet conceited and arrogant gentlemen. Quite ironic, but that's probably their type of guy.

Yet neither admitted this. Not even to each other.

"Why so silent?" May asked after Leaf had gone quite for a while now.

Leaf shrugged. "You're right, I guess."

"That Drew and I are practically like you and Gary?"

"We aren't as hot an item as you and Drew are."

"But you admit to being an item?"

"You're not denying the fact that I pretty much said that you and Drew are a hot item."

"Why are you so evasive?"

"Don't be a hypocrite. You are too."

Immediately, the two fell silent. "Fine." I was Lead who broke the silence. May was too stubborn to. "I'll be honest with you, and then you have to be honest with me. Deal?" Leaf sent a serious look to May's direction before the blue-eyed brunette nodded her head once.

Leaf shifted in her seat, throwing her legs over so that they were hanging off the edge of the rooftop. "I like Gary to the point that I am pretty much falling for him, but I don't want to fall since I don't know if he's going to catch me or not because he's too busy with everything else that he doesn't know that I am falling and there are too many people falling at the same time that he doesn't know who to catch." She said all that in one breath then looked expectantly at May. "Your turn."

May smiled softly in response. "Everything you just said right now is everything I'm feeling now about Drew." She retracted her legs and hugged them against her chest. "I just don't want to keep waiting in line like all the other girls are."

"They're confusing, those guys are," Leaf said with a half-hearted chuckle. "One minute they're being all cool and sweet to us, then the next minute they bully us." She pouted cutely, making May laugh.

"It's weird," May commented, "that every time our skin comes in contact with each other, there's a spark. So many times I wish that that spark isn't just one-sided. That I'm not the only one of us two who feel it. I hope that it's something we share and not just something I feel."

"Exactly."

One again, silence fell onto the brunette pair only to be broken moments later by a familiar masculine voice calling their names. Poking her head over the rooftop, May saw both Drew and Gary below, both dressed in dark singlets and pyjama pants. "Up here," she called.

"Leaf up there with you?" Gary asked, eyes directed up at his rooftop. As a response, Leaf poked her head from the rooftop as well. "Now that we've found to two of you, come down."

"Or just jump off," Drew suggested nonchalantly. As if anyone were stupid enough to jump off the rooftop of a house.

"No!" the two girls screamed in unison.

"We're taking the stairs," May huffed.

"But it's faster this way."

"Yeah, but I could die. Do you have a death sentence for me?"

Despite the distance, the two coordinators still managed to glare at each other. Gary rolled his eyes at the two before calling out to Leaf.

"I know you want to take the stairs but that would take far too long and Drew and I are pretty excited for this surprise so just jump," Gary, the soon-to-be-Professor said. At the sound of his name, Drew snapped back from his glare battle with May.

"Like May said," Leaf commented, "we could die by jumping off. I don't want to die early."

"Don't worry," Gary said with a grin. "We'll catch you. Trust us."

'_But I don't want to fall since I don't know if he's going to catch me or not.'_

Leaf turned to face May. "Play safe or take the risk?" They both knew the question wasn't just about taking the stairs of jumping off. It was a lot more than that.

May looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'd go for play safe… but I sort of want to take this risk."

"I'll go jump first then." May nodded. Leaf called back down, "I'm jumping in three, two, one."

And just like that, she threw herself off the rooftop, closing her eyes out of fear, yet enjoying the thrill at the same time. '_He said he'd catch me. Please catch me._' After a few seconds, she felt herself land on something. Though it wasn't exactly a soft landing, Gary's arms were better to land on than the ground itself. May came a few seconds later, landing in the arms of Drew.

"Thanks," Leaf said after she was steady on her feet.

Gary gave a dazzling smile in return. "Don't worry about it."

"I was actually scared since I wasn't sure if you'd catch me."

Gary shrugged. "I did," he said dismissively. "I'd do it any time." With that, he walked towards a nearby rock, leaving Leaf to ponder about what the guy said.

"So," May said once Drew propped her up on the ground. "What's this surprise that you two were so excited for that Leaf and I almost sacrificed our lives for?"

Gary grinned from the rock and walked back to join the rest of the group. He took out a slim box and handed it over to May.

"Sparklers?" the brunette coordinator asked.

"Yup," Drew said as he took the box away from the girl and started distributing the four sparklers. "Since you're the youngest, you can go light your up first." He brought out a lighter and chucked it over to May who, although not gracefully, caught it.

After she lit her sparkler, she offered some to Drew, who then offered to Gary, who passed it on to Leaf. It was cute, this little moment they shared. May held the sparkler a little away from her body, fearing that she might get burnt.

"You don't do it like that, June," Drew commented from the side. "You look like a scared Skitty with the way you're holding that thing." He walked slowly toward the area where May was standing and stopped when he was directly behind her, making sure that his sparkler was far enough that May wouldn't get burnt.

"Teach me then, Oh Great One, how to handle this thing," May said sarcastically.

To her surprise, Drew's hand wrapped around her own. Together, it was like Drew and May were sharing tow sparklers.

'_I hope that it's something we share and not just something I feel.'_

As Drew lifted both his and May's arms upward towards the sky, May turned and offered Leaf a small smile. The brunette trainer returned it with a smile of her own. They were both thinking the same thing.

Maybe, just maybe, the risk of falling could be worth taking.

* * *

**AN**: So I'm back. HAHA. Anyway, I've been off this site for quite a while since college is pretty stressful, but I'm back. My writing may be kind of rusty at the moment but i promise it will improve. I just wanted to get back into writing and post something before the year ends.

It's not just ContestShipping now! I've included Leaf and Gary into my story which is... new for me. But I had some fun since I can make my own depiction of Leaf's personality. I hope you guys enjoy though!

Please tell me of any errors/comments/improvements and any other stuff I could work on! Thanks guys :)

~ Raine


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